PNG Justice Minister say Death Penalty necessary

JUSTICE Minister and Attorney-General Kerenga Kua says the Government remains committed to enforcing the death penalty legislation to reduce law and order problems.

He said since the passing of the law earlier this year, there had been much criticism from individuals and organisations that opposed the move by the Government in passing the law.

As a result, he said there had been a number of consultations with stakeholders on the issue on how the law would be implemented.

He was responding to a question from Laigap-Porgera MP Nixon Mangape in Parliament yesterday.

Mangape raised concerns that serious crimes were still occurring and questioned Kua on when the Government would be enforcing the death penalty.

“I maintain that it is the government’s position that this was necessary pathway that we had to follow if we were serious about minimising law and order problems in the country,” Kua said.

“At the same time emphasising that this was directed to only a little group of people in the country and that the mainstream of society did not need to be too concerned about the implications of the death penalty.

“If implemented properly, it should add to creating a more orderly and peaceful society that our people will enjoy. At the end of the day it still remains a law because we’ve passed that legislation.”

Kua told the House that a delegation was sent to the US, Thailand, Indonesia and Malaysia to study how the death penalty was implemented.

He said a report from that study had been prepared and was currently reviewed by the department and would be brought to cabinet.

He said an inter-department committee would be established to look at setting up the requisite infrastructure that would be used to implement that particular legislation.